Ball in politicians’ court: lawyers: Restoration of judges
ISLAMABAD, Feb 21: Former president Supreme Court Bar Association Tariq Mehmood, who is yet under detention, on Thursday asked the victorious political parties in the elections to resolve the issue of restoration of pre-November 3 judiciary with great care and deliberation.
In a statement issued from office of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), Mr Mehmood said successive military dictators had turned the country into chaotic one and that the problems being faced by the nation could not be got rid of easily.
“We should not work for our personal interests. We all have made huge sacrifices for the larger interest of our country and strengthening of the institutions,” he said.
Through these election results the people of Pakistan have provided our leadership a golden opportunity to take Pakistan out of the crises, Mr Mehmood said.
He said with the lawyers’ movement going on since March 9 last year, it had become possible to dislodge President Musharraf from power.
Private media, civil society, students and political parties have played an important role in the movement which made possible the return of Benazir Bhutto and Mian Nawaz Sharif and forced the military dictator to hold general elections, Mr Mehmood added.
ATTOCK: A local senior lawyer and member Supreme Court Bar Association Sheikh Ahsanuddin has termed the election results a referendum against policies of President Musharraf and his allies.
In a statement, he urged the president to respond to what he called wish of the people and resign immediately. The lawyer also alleged rigging in the election in favour of the PML-Q.
Victories of the PPP and the PML-N were the result of lawyers’ movement for the independence of judiciary and now it was responsibility of these political parties to take practical steps to get the sacked judges restored, he said.
TAXILA: President Taxila Bar Association (TBA) Mohammad Afzal Janjua has said the masses have spoken up in the elections against the policies of the present government.
Talking to mediapersons here on Thursday, he said the lawyers had already demanded of the victorious political parties to reiterate their stance regarding restoration of the deposed judges of the superior courts without any further delay and to have clear position on the issue to fulfil their promises with the people, he added, they had made before elections.
He said chances of restoration of the deposed chief justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry had doubled with what he called the historic success of democratic forces and defeat of undemocratic elements in the Monday polls.
“The election 2008 is a referendum against President Musharraf and it has happened due to the lawyers’ movement that the people have rejected policies of the president who sacked judges and weakened all institutions only to perpetuate his illegal rule,” he said.
He hoped that the movement for restoration of deposed CJ along with other deposed judges would grow stronger with the ouster of the PML-Q from power.
Source: Dawn
Date:2/22/2008
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